Flaming Lips Heading Back to School This Fall

While school may just be letting out for summer, students attending the University of Central Oklahoma may have some new, interesting classes to choose from this fall. Specifically, that of the newly institutionalized Academy of Contemporary Music at the University. The program is being spearheaded by the Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker, who has rounded up the Bird and the Bee's Greg Kurstin as well as Flaming Lips guitarist, Steven Drozd to teach this fall.

"One of elements of the school that I find particular fun and exciting is the live performance workshop," Booker tells Spinner. "Each year the students are put together in bands and required to perform a song each week. Some examples of the songs they'll be working on in year one are 'Do You Realize' by the Flaming Lips, 'I Feel It All' by Feist and 'I Can't Explain' by the Who."

For Drozd, getting in the classroom will be a rather new experience, but its not like he hasn't taught in some capacity before. In other words, parents shouldn't fear that their hard-saved college funds are going to waste. "I attempted to give guitar lessons in the summer of 1988 but it didn't work out because the two students I had just wanted to learn metal riffs and I couldn't deal with that," Drozd tells Spinner. "I have, though, been teaching Wayne Coyne music theory for 18 years now!"

Also scheduled for the fall is the Flaming Lips' follow-up to 2006's 'At War With The Mystics.' Entitled 'Embryonic,' the set will be the group's first double album. For all you students, a bit of advice: do not use Flaming Lips music to study to. It's much better suited for other college-related stuff.